Security cameras and electrical fixtures are commonly installed on the interiors and exteriors of buildings. Security cameras are frequently installed to provide monitoring of property against intrusion, vandalism, or theft. Electrical fixtures, such as lighting fixtures, are also frequently installed. Electrical fixtures typically run on house current and therefore all electrical connections to the fixtures must be contained within a closed electrical box that is in compliance with all local electrical codes. Although most security cameras are powered by 24 volts, many jurisdictions now require that the electrical connections also be contained within a closed electrical box that meets the electrical code.
As security cameras and light fixtures are typically installed on ceilings or walls, it is desirable to recess the electrical connections within the walls of the building in order to occlude the view of the box that holds the electrical connections as much as possible. Conventional electrical boxes are typically not adaptable to accepting either a security camera or an electrical fixture, therefore requiring the installer to purchase an electrical box that is specifically adapted to either the security camera or to the electrical fixture.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/456,156, which includes common ownership and a common inventor with the present invention, disclosed a one-piece nonmetallic electrical box assembly for mounting and supporting a security camera or electrical fixture and to overcome some of the deficiencies of the aforementioned conventional electrical boxes. The electrical box assembly disclosed therein was universal in nature and could be adapted for use with a wide variety of security cameras or electrical fixtures.
Although the electrical box assembly of the parent application provided an improved nonmetallic electrical box assembly for the installation of a security camera or electrical fixture, there are many locations in which the local electrical code does not permit nonmetallic electrical boxes. Thus, the present invention provides an electrical box assembly that includes a metallic electrical box and a nonmetallic trim piece for installing an electrical fixture or a security camera on a wall or ceiling. The mounting of the electrical box assembly of the present invention requires only the use of a standard hole-saw for preparation of the ceiling or wall.